Parking space barrier

ABSTRACT

A barrier post to prevent unauthorized use of a private parking space includes a firmly anchored base and a post which is shiftable from an upright barrier position to a lowered inactive position. A simplified locking and release mechanism permits separating the post from its shear pin holding means by a lifting and pivoting manipulation.

United States Patent [191 Montgomery Dec. 16, 1975 PARKING SPACE BARRIER[76] Inventor: George R. Montgomery, 1152 Okeechobee Road, West PalmBeach, Fla. 33401 [22] Filed: Mar. 21, 1975 211 App]. No.: 560,334

[52] US. Cl. 49/35; 404/6; 403/2 [51] Int. Cl. E05B 65/00 [58] Field ofSearch 292/186; 312/219; 49/39, 49/33, 35, 131; 404/6; 52/98; 403/2;70/181;

[56] 0 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,309,238 1/1943 Corey403/2 3.061.960 11/1962 Dull 49/35 3.417.508 12/1968 Sprung 49/353.680.448 8/1972 Ballingall et a1. 52/169 Primary E.\'aminerPaul R.Gilliam Assistant Examiner-Doris L. Troutman Attorney, Agent, or Firm-D.Paul Weaver 5 7 ABSTRACT A barrier post to prevent unauthorized use of aprivate parking space includes a firmly anchored base and a post whichis shiftable from an upright barrier position to a lowered inactiveposition. A simplified locking and release mechanism permits separatingthe post from its shear pin holding means by a lifting and pivotingmanipulation.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 16, 1975 PARKING SPACEBARRIER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The prior pate ted art contains anumber of teachings pertaining to parking space barriers includinglocking and release means to be controlled exclusively by an authorizeduser of the space and to preclude use by unauthorized users. Someexamples of the prior art are US. Pat. Nos. 3,417,508 and 3,688,439 andBritish Patent specification 967,3 22.

In order for devices of this character to be widely accepted, they mustbe completely practical, easy to operate, highly resistant to damageand, above all, economical to manufacture and install. If all of thesequalities are not present in the device, it will not be economicallyfeasible to use the device on a large scale or commercial basis, andthis is thought to be the reason why such barrier devices up to thepresent time are not in wider usage.

Accordingly, it is the objective of the invention to provide a parkingspace barrier of the described type which is completely practical, easyto use, resistant to damage and very economical to manufacture andinstall.

More particularly, the device is characterized by extreme simplicity ofconstruction, employing a minimum number of parts, and the parts beingof an inexpensive nature. Additionally, the device is equipped with afail-safe feature in the form of shear pin means which will yield orfail when the barrier post is struck by a vehicle, thus preventingdamage to the vehicle or to the device. The shear pin elements arereadily replaceable following failure so that the device may be reusedindefinitely.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES FIG. 1 isa perspective view ofa parking space barrier device in the upright active position to prevententry of the vehicle into the space.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, partly broken away, showing the device ina lowered or inactive position to allow free entry or egress of thevehicle. FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 33 of FIG.1.

FIG. 4 is a similar section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken on line 55 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein likenumerals designate like parts, the numeral designates a flat base platehaving a depending vertical pipe extension 11 rigidly secured theretoand adapted to be anchored in a concrete mass 12 which may be part of agarage floor or a separately formed concrete mass in an unpaved parkinglot or the like. The anchoring pipe 11 preferably has cross rods 13extending into the concrete mass for additional security.

The base plate 10 carries a pair of spaced parallel upstanding bracketplates 14 rigid therewith, and these bracket plates are interconnectednear their tops and centrally by a sturdy cross pin 15 fixedly securedthereto. Below the cross pin 15 and in vertical alignment therewith, apair of inwardly projecting shear pins 16 are mounted on the bracketplates 14 so as to proj ecting inwardly thereof near and above the baseplate 10. The shear pins have screw-threaded shanks 17 engaging withinscrew-threaded openings of the bracket plates 14 and also have exteriorheads 18 adapted to receive an Allen wrench or the like for removal ofthe shanks 17 following failure of the shear pins.

A barrier post 19 of rectangular or other cross section is provided andis preferably of a height to extend above the bumper level ofautomobiles. This post is provided near and above its bottom end and onopposite sides with vertically elongated slots 20, slidably andpivotally receiving the fixed cross pin 15 so as to form a lost motionconnection between the post and the fixed base of the barrier device.

At the extreme bottom of the post 19, below the slots 20 and alignedtherewith on the same opposite sides of the post, are downwardly openingslots 21 having flared lower end portions 22. The slots 21 are adaptedto engage over the two fixed shear pins 16 to releasably lock the post19 in the active upright position.

A simplified locking and release means for the barrier post is provided,in the form of a key lock 23 near the top of the post on one sidethereof. The rotary component of this key lock carries a rotary crankarm 24, concealed within the interior of the post, and this arm isconnected with the top of a rod 25 having a preferably elongated closedloop 26 at the lower end thereof slidably receiving the fixed cross pin15.

During use, while the post 19 is upright with its lower end resting onthe flat base plate 10 and the shear pin 16 projecting through the slots21, the key lock is turned so that the crank arm 24 is elevated, FIG. 3,and the rod 25 and loop 26 are elevated. At this time, the bottom of theloop 26 engages the bottom of the cross pin 15 and the post 19 cannot beelevated or pivoted relative to the pin 15. It is locked in the activebarrier forming position.

To lower the post, as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 4, so as to allow avehicle to pass freely thereover, the key lock is turned to move thecrank arm 24 one-quarter turn to a downward position parallel to theaxis of the post, FIG. 2. This will lower the rod 25 and loop 26 withinthe post and relative to the pin 15 so that'the bottom of the loop 26 issufficiently spaced from the pin to enable lifting of the post 19sufficiently to separate the slots 21 from the shear pins 16 and allowthe post to be swung to its down position shown in the drawings. Theslots 20 allow the required lifting movement along the axis of the postto separate the shear pins from the slots 21.

Should a vehicle strike the post 19 while it is locked in the uprightposition, before any damage can occur to the vehicle or the invention,the relatively small pins 16 will shear and the remaining shanks 17 canbe removed by use of an Allen wrench, so that new shear pins can beinstalled.

The device is most simplified, very easy to operate, self-protectingagainst damage and very economical to manufacture, which should make thedevice entirely practical to use.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scopeof the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A parking space barrier comprising a base adapted to be anchored to afloor or to ground and having a pair of spaced upright elements, a crosspin secured to and extending between said elements near their upperends, opposing shear pins removably mounted on said elements near theirlower ends and below said cross pin and projecting interiorly of saidelements, a barrier post engaged between said upright elements andhaving bottom end opening slots in opposite sides thereof engaging overthe shear pins removably and having vertically elongated closed endslots in the same opposite sides thereof above the first-named slots andslidably and pivotally receiving said cross pin, a key lock on said postnear the top thereof including a rotary crank arm within the post, and alink connected with said crank arm and moved thereby and extendingthrough the post and having a lower end loop receiving said cross pinwith sufficient play between the loop and cross pin to allow the loop tobe lowered by turning of the crank arm to release the post for liftingrelative to the cross pin sufficiently to separate said shear pins fromsaid first-named slots.

2. A parking space barrier as defined by claim 1, and wherein the shearpins have screw-threaded engagement with said upright elements to allowseparation of shear pin shanks from said elements and replacement of theshear pins following failure thereof.

3. A parking space barrier as defined by claim 1, and said lower endloop of said link being elongated axially of the link and slidably andpivotally receiving said cross pin.

4. A parking space barrier as defined by claim 3, and said bottom endopening slots being downwardly flared and the upper portions of theslots slidably and pivotally engaging said shear pins.

5. A parking space barrier as defined by claim 1, and said baseincluding a flat base plate adapted to rest on a floor, said uprightelements comprising spaced parallel plate elements, said barrier postbeing rectangular in cross section and one opposing pair of sides ofsaid post fitting between said plate elements.

1. A parking space barrier comprising a base adapted to be anchored to afloor or to ground and having a pair of spaced upright elements, a crosspin secured to and extending between said elements near their upperends, opposing shear pins removably mounted on said elements near theirlower ends and below said cross pin and projecting interiorly of saidelements, a barrier post engaged between said upright elements andhaving bottom end opening slots in opposite sides thereof engaging overthe shear pins removably and having vertically elongated closed endsloTs in the same opposite sides thereof above the firstnamed slots andslidably and pivotally receiving said cross pin, a key lock on said postnear the top thereof including a rotary crank arm within the post, and alink connected with said crank arm and moved thereby and extendingthrough the post and having a lower end loop receiving said cross pinwith sufficient play between the loop and cross pin to allow the loop tobe lowered by turning of the crank arm to release the post for liftingrelative to the cross pin sufficiently to separate said shear pins fromsaid first-named slots.
 2. A parking space barrier as defined by claim1, and wherein the shear pins have screw-threaded engagement with saidupright elements to allow separation of shear pin shanks from saidelements and replacement of the shear pins following failure thereof. 3.A parking space barrier as defined by claim 1, and said lower end loopof said link being elongated axially of the link and slidably andpivotally receiving said cross pin.
 4. A parking space barrier asdefined by claim 3, and said bottom end opening slots being downwardlyflared and the upper portions of the slots slidably and pivotallyengaging said shear pins.
 5. A parking space barrier as defined by claim1, and said base including a flat base plate adapted to rest on a floor,said upright elements comprising spaced parallel plate elements, saidbarrier post being rectangular in cross section and one opposing pair ofsides of said post fitting between said plate elements.